Delilah Tarus: The Truth about Blood
by Ezzarella
Summary: Delilah Tarus is a young royal moroi living with her family in England. But when tragedy strikes and her world thrown off kilter, how will she possibly adapt to her new life at the esteemed St. Vladimirs Academy? Working on a better summary when I figure out what can be spoiled and what can't be xx


**Hello and thank you ever so for opening this fan fiction up! It means the world to me that you even considered clicking the link. This story is about the next generation after Rosa and Lissa, but it will feature some of the original characters in their older years. I really hope you like it and feel free to let me know your thoughts on it.**

* * *

I was flooded with the memories of the night.

The ornate church decked out in the traditional Baptism setting. The lights. The laughter. The complete sense of family and pure happiness over the joy of the newest Dashkov member.

In that moment, my uncle and aunt had the perfect Utopia in their arms, and I was lucky enough to witness the peace. I'm not sure what divine entity is watching over us now, but I both thank and curse them for the events that happened after that.

"Your father rang me again. This has been the fifth time in the last 7 minutes," My mother grumbled to me. I personally wasn't surprised by this. If my marriage was drifting apart from me I'd be a bit desperate to grab the smallest bit of attention from my spouse as well. "I don't understand why it can't wait until we get home, either!" she continued to whine. I wasn't sure if she was whining to me or herself, but she had caught the attention of our family Prince, Ralf Dashkov.

As mum kept ranting on about how he only wants to talk via the phone these days and not in person, Prince Ralf came over to no doubt investigate on our personal lives. It wasn't that we were uninterested in each others lives so much as my father, Orrel Tarus, keeping my mother and I away from her side of the family. It was a wonder that mum and I were able to come to the christening at all tonight.

"Vera! Delilah! How wonderful it is to see you again! It's been too long," Ralf started; smiling widely and taking each of our hands, whilst simultaneously preventing mum from answering the latest incoming call from dad. The last time we had seen each other was six years ago, in almost the exact same setting as now; a family christening.

"Hello Uncle. How have you been lately?" Mum started, ignoring the subtle jab at my father's controlling nature.

"Oh you know; getting on a bit. Thrilled that another family member has been born. It's amazing how one tiny infant has the power to bring together an entire family in celebration," he remarked with a wide smile on his face, showing his aged fangs. He looked at me, "How are you my dear Delilah? England treating you well?" England was where I lived with my parents, which was convenient for my father who worked there in the human world. He had a very prestigious job in both the human and the moroi world, in that he worked with the human royal family, relaying information to the Moroi government and helping keep our existence a secret from humanity. Unfortunately, England was not a place my mother's side of the family visited often, the Dashkov's preferred Russia and wherever the current monarch resided.

"I'm very well, Uncle. It's a relief to get out of England I'll admit though," I reply with a laugh. The weather here in Moscow was significantly colder than my home in London, but refreshing at the same time with whiter snow, in my opinion. That and the tension in my family was unbearable. I honestly feared for my parent's marriage sometimes. They would both take turns at being the one begging for love and attention, which was confusing to say the least. The sooner they sit down and talk about whatever's going on the better.

Ralf must've had a similar line of thinking, "How is Orrel, Vera? I haven't seen him around the church. You know partners were invited to this event as well. I see Anthony Walton right over there with Claire. I didn't know they were married but with the clan getting larger it's impossible to know every detail," he commented joyously.

"He's very busy with work at the moment Uncle. The fact that Lo and I are out of the country probably isn't helping his job performance," mum stated crisply, clasping my hand for support in defending her husband. Just then her mobile rang again, and mum was determined to answer it. "We'd best be off Uncle Ralf. It's been lovely seeing you again and you're welcome to visit us anytime." With a quick embrace of the Dashkov Prince she was out of the church in a flash, answering the call of her husband.

"I'd better go as well Uncle Ralf. It was lovely seeing you again!" I lean into him for a tight embrace, wondering how long it will be before I see so many of my family in one place.

"Farewell my dear. We'll see each other soon." His misty eyes were an indicator of when he thought we'd really see each other again.

With that thought in mind I made a point of saying goodbye to as many of my family members as possible, and making a special effort to congratulate the newest parents in the Dashkov clan. As I started to go towards my previously close cousin, Amanda; one of my mother's guardians came up to me.

"Your mother requests that you come with me immediately, Miss Tarus. We are to go home as soon as possible."

"This is no doubt a result of dad's forcefulness," I state dryly to Ray. He remains silent, not wanting to offend Lord Tarus in anyway. All he does is look at me meaningfully before I follow his lead into our hire car.

* * *

The events after that are blurred. One minute, mum and I were gossiping and retelling tales of our day with each other, and the next our guardians were getting notified about a strigoi attack. In general, strigoi attacks are a frightening occurrence that would instil fear into anyone that heard of them. They weren't frequent these days, but Russia always had been the main home to Strigoi, and accordingly; we had to be extra vigilant to keep ourselves alive. The rarer occasion would be a large group of strigoi planning an assault. And that wasn't even the worst part about it.

When mum kept asking the guardians whereabouts the attack had taken place, the guardians would keep insisting that we were out of danger and that we had nothing to fear. Much of the car travel was spent with this tennis match of the same questions and answers. "Where was the attack?" "All you need to know is that you and your daughter are safe, Lady Tarus." All the while there was a horrible sense of dread in my stomach, which I'm sure my mother had as well. When one of the guardians told us that they booked the nearest direct flight, I found my voice, but it wasn't strong.

"The church," I whispered to myself, but with the supernatural hearing of every being in the room, I had no doubts everyone heard. The hardening of Ray's face confirmed it. That was all the knowledge mum wanted. And the only information I needed. Our family was attacked. And we could do nothing to stop it.

The distress on our faces spurred Ray and the other guardians into action, quickly assuring us that there were many guardians surrounding the church and that the attack was over fairly quickly. But what they didn't know was the amount of fatalities. And without a doubt there would have been fatalities. Strigoi were a force to be reckoned with and no matter what the circumstances were, there usually was at least one death involved; aside from the strigoi if the guardians were lucky enough.

A phone ringing caused everyone to jump before a guardian quickly picked up the phone and spoke softly into it. So softly that even I couldn't hear him with my superior vampire senses. The phone call was brief and before long the car was speeding to the airport, with the guardians anxiousness fuelling our own. They were extremely efficient in getting everything organised for us. They made the seating on the plane so that I was against the window and mum was next to me, with Ray next to her and one guardian in front and behind mum. They each apologised for having to ride coach and assured us that the luggage we took with us would be brought home shortly, but that was the furthest thing from our minds.

All I could think about was the lives that might have been lost tonight and how lucky mum and I were that we left when we did.


End file.
